Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
PRISTIN have already turned to a sub-unit called PRISTIN V, which consists of Kyulkyung, Nayoung, Roa, Eunwoo, and Rena. Their debut is with a track called “Get It“, and at least they’ve used the sub-unit to explore a different sound.
While I understand the decision to take PRISTIN down the more traditional girl group route with their sound, the r&b-influenced “Get It” from PRISTIN V is what I think the larger group would excel at as well, and the way the sub-unit attacked this sort proves that. The reverberating bass line and keyboard sound during the verses sets a cool and almost seductive atmosphere, and it transitions to the lighter pre-chorus featuring a snare while continuing to build. The bass then drops back in for the chorus, and what I liked is that they could’ve gone lazy by just repeating “get it” over and over with an instrumental-heavy drop, as has been the trend in K-pop recently. However, they instead opt for a dynamic and fleshed out chorus that still has a hook element with the repeating of the title.
Perhaps most impressive is that there isn’t a whole lot going on in the verses and it relies on the members to carry those sections. Yet the pacing of their delivery was effectively utilized as an instrument of its own, and the general execution of the vocals were up to what the song demanded. Surprisingly, the rapping wasn’t a letdown either. This type of track required something with more attitude and confidence than anything else, and I honestly didn’t expect them to deliver as well as they did. While this pacing typically isn’t my thing, “Get It” finds ways to appeal regardless, and there’s a certain payoff when it all meshes together towards the end.
PRISTIN V is a wonderful sub-unit from concept to execution, and while “Get It” won’t be accused of breaking new ground, it definitely has an alluring quality to it and I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it. While this sound definitely appears to fit Western palates better than Korean ones, hopefully they don’t give up on this sub-unit because after “Get It” I’m excited to see what the future holds for it.
